Not quite. This winsome winged creature is a moth, a Loepa oberthuri to be exact, a type of silkmoth. It"s the star of our homepage because today marks the start of National Moth Week, which shines the porch light on this unlikely hero. Unlike their showier cousins, butterflies, moths get a bad rap from time to time, and that"s fair, as caterpillars of some moth species are agricultural pests. But before you break out the mothballs, consider this: Scientists estimate that there are some 160,000 species of moths worldwide, many just as stunning as our silkmoth today, and tracking their health often helps us gauge the health of entire ecosystems. So we encourage you to investigate moths this week right in your own backyard. All you have to do: Turn on the porch light—and the moths will come calling.
Pretty, pretty…butterfly?
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Where the glow of the holidays lingers
-
Pandas pucker up for International Kissing Day
-
A good time in the Badlands
-
A festival of lights in India
-
A tribute to the ancestors
-
Who left the tub running?
-
International Day for Monuments and Sites
-
Into the woods
-
World Bee Day
-
Storm rolls over the grasslands
-
Halloween
-
Poinsettia Day
-
Zion National Park Turns 100
-
Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
-
Earthrise on Moon Day
-
From the mind of Frank Gehry
-
Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!
-
Ruins of St. Dwynwens Church, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales
-
Fat Bear Week
-
Toledo, Spain
-
Stuben am Arlberg, Austria
-
A big birthday for Big Bend
-
All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
-
Folegandros Island, Cyclades, Greece
-
Fiddlehead fern fronds
-
Visiting a Maratha fortress
-
Unearthing a queen s lost tale
-
Eurasian lynx
-
All in a day s work
-
Presidents Day